20101010

Worship of God was very much on the heart and mind of King Solomon.  His father King David wanted to build a Temple for God to dwell in the midst of His people, the Israelites.  But God said no to King David.  So King Solomon took on the task spending 7 years to build the magnificent Temple.  At the “Dedication Service” of this Temple there was much pomp and splendour as the King got the Israelites to come together on many days for the praise and worship of Almighty God.  God gave His response: “I have heard your prayer … if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:12, 14).  God promised His continued presence and protection of His people on the basis of humility (humble themselves) and repentance (turn from their wicked ways).  This has always been God’s response to His people when they call on Him.  He expects them to be humble before Him and to approach Him in true repentance.

Worship of God was on the mind of the Samaritan woman Jesus met at Jacob’s well in John 4.  Her question to Jesus was: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain (Samaritan Temple), but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem (Solomon’s Temple).”   Jesus gave a new insight on the true worship of God by His response to her.  Worship of God was to be in neither of the Temples for “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth”.  Since God is everywhere, those who worship Him must do this all the time and in all places – in spirit and in truth.

Worship of God was the teaching of the Apostle Paul to the Roman Christians.  After informing them of the need, when they come to God, for humility and repentance in the earlier parts of Romans, he wrote about their needed “act of spiritual worship”.  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12:1, 2).  After repenting of their sin and turning to God in humility seeking his forgiveness, guidance and protection they can come to worship God by presenting themselves as “living sacrifices”.  God desires this from us in BKC who come to worship Him.  We will then certainly meet God’s approval and live our lives according to God’s good, pleasing and perfect will.  Let us all come to God in true repentance and humility to worship Him – everywhere and always!